|
|
“Thank you for joining me through this. You’ve been a very big help to me throughout freshmen year. I really look up to you. You’ve done amazing things. I’m excited for where God will lead us and I’m excited for the future and what I can hopefully do…”
– UM Diver
|
|
|
|
|
While most industries were being shut down and families were scrambling to figure out how to best use their time amidst COVID-19, we discovered a deeper meaning to the word PIVOT as a family and as a local staff team.
Pursue Innovative Virtual Opportunities Together.
|
|
|
First, we realized that as students were becoming more active online, Instagram became the most strategic place for us to continue offering the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ. Our staff team rebooted our shared Instagram account and has been producing a combination of inspirational quotes, scripture cards, and 1-minute Christ-centered videos as pictured above. Follow us @umiamiaia.
|
|
|
Then, personally, as a couple, we too have been producing gospel-driven content from home. We released a 6-part video series called Locked Down. Check us out @brittviolaantgonzalez.
Brittany even interviewed Jessie, a freshmen diver at UM, on Instagram Live to discuss the subject of mental health. In her disclosure of recovering from depression and self-harm, Jessie gave a complete gospel presentation to the audience which has 800+ views!
|
|
|
|
In addition, our staff is offering a weekly environment for our students, athletes, and coaches to gather online via Zoom on Monday nights at 8pm. For the first-half of the summer, we are studying and reflecting on the book of Jonah. Here’s the main point from our first session last Monday:
|
|
|
“When life gets overturned,
turn over life to Jesus.”
|
|
|
|
|
Lastly, this week, we are partnering with AIA leaders across the nation to offer UTC EVERY. This is a week-long virtual experience of the Ultimate Training Camp. There are over 800 participants registered and many are from our ministry work in South Florida. Pray for the students, coaches, and athletes to grow closer to Jesus and one another through this innovative virtual opportunity.
|
|
|
|
As a bonus, we’ve gotten creative with our three little humans and hosted our own custom, week-long, at-home, summer camp experience called, “Camp C.O.V.I.D.” (Christ. Obey. Victory. Instrument. Dance.)!
Each day, the kids learned a special word, memory verse, song, and Bible story. Then, they each practiced quiet time with God using a Bible, coloring page of the Bible story, and crayons. Their favorite spot was in a closet!
This is how we Pursue Innovative Virtual Opportunities Together!
|
|
Prayer Requests
- More students, athletes, and coaches are hungrier for the gospel than we’ve ever seen. Pray that we make the most of these ministry opportunities by God’s Spirit.
- Pray that hundreds of UTC EVERY participants would receive the gospel of Jesus and grow this week!
- As we look ahead at the fall semester, pray that as the physical campus reopens, we carry with us the beneficial innovations we learned in this time to further our vision of seeing Christ followers in every team, every sport, every nation!
- We are planning a student leadership retreat in September. Pray that God would prepare our students to be Spirit-filled leaders of influence this year.
|
|
|
Updates
- When travel restrictions lift, we hope to visit family in North Carolina in July.
- Brittany has started physical therapy to recover from her recently discovered back injuries rooted in her sport career. Pray for healing and pain relief.
- Micah is learning how to read! A new world of creativity is opening for him.
- Kyla is finding her voice as the middle child. That girl can sing and perform!
- The baby is mobile! Daniel is not only crawling now, but pulling himself up and shuffling.
|
|
|
|
|
Your prayer & giving makes all of this possible!
We can only imagine the ways you have been affected. As the economic repercussions of this pandemic continue to unfold, we are deeply grateful for your ongoing generosity which fuels the work of reaching students, coaches, athletes, and community leaders for Christ especially during these uncertain times.
We pray that each of you remain healthy, wise, & innovative in the power of the Holy Spirit! And, even if your health is taken from you, nothing can take away Jesus’ love for you nor your faith in Him. Keep your certainty on God’s goodness, Jesus’ presence, and the Spirit’s leading. In Jesus, together we are victorious.
With Love,
Anthony, Brittany, Micah, Kyla, & Daniel
The Gonzalez Family
|
|
|
|
|
|
